MONON BOARD

MONON Railroad OPERATIONS => General Operatons => Topic started by: David Armstrong on May 05, 2019, 08:25:01 pm

Title: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: David Armstrong on May 05, 2019, 08:25:01 pm

Did the Monon Railroad have standard structure colors? I am interested in both the end-of-steam period and 1965/1966. I have a picture of what I assume to be a railroad structure at Cedar Creek (234.3?) that I took in 1966. The structure appears to be something like depot buff and brown, but the two prints that I have are quite faded and I no longer have a slide viewer to look at the original slide. I did not set out to model the Monon, but now that I have so many Monon models, I may wish to apply Monon Railroad colors to railroad structures that I add to my layout. Thank you in advance for any answers.

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: Mark Johnson on May 07, 2019, 07:54:09 am

Others with more knowledge will, hopefully, chime in - but the 'buff' color you describe was pretty common on wood-frame depot structures like Clear Creek, Mitchell, Pekin, and a few others. As we all know, the Monon tended to be a pretty low-buck operation for most of its independent life, and I always suspected that the most common color for structures was "whatever paint could be bought in bulk the cheapest."

Mark J
Columbia MO

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: David Armstrong on May 29, 2019, 06:36:52 pm

Since I do have one picture with those colors, I have no reason not to go with your suggestion. At least I can sort of match the colors that I observe in the picture.

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: George Lortz on June 04, 2019, 01:52:49 am

David,

Another color of paint that the Monon used, especially on depots, was a strange shade of light green.  I don't have the names of all of them, but I believe Salem was an example.

George L.

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: David Armstrong on August 04, 2019, 03:15:03 pm

While I thank you for the "light green" suggestion, I must be too much of a traditionalist. Of course, if I had taken a picture of the Monon station in Bloomington when I was stationed there in the service, I might have known at least of a different trim color, if there was a painted trim. That shows you how much I remember!

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: Rick Berg on August 07, 2019, 07:49:15 am

I think this is the buff color you are talking about.

https://monon.org/POTD/days8/7.jpg (https://monon.org/POTD/days8/7.jpg)

or
https://monon.org/bygone_site/rossville/04-01rossville1.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/rossville/04-01rossville1.jpg)

or

https://monon.org/bygone_site/kirkland/04-20kirklin1.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/kirkland/04-20kirklin1.jpg)

or now faded green or is it blue

https://monon.org/bygone_site/sheridan/04-01sheridan2.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/sheridan/04-01sheridan2.jpg)

https://monon.org/bygone_site/bygonepixs2/12-16brookston9-1959.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/bygonepixs2/12-16brookston9-1959.jpg)

https://monon.org/bygone_site/greencastle/Greencastledepot-1960%27s.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/greencastle/Greencastledepot-1960%27s.jpg)

more

https://monon.org/bygone_site/cloverdale/07-25clearcreek5-20-71.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/cloverdale/07-25clearcreek5-20-71.jpg)

https://monon.org/bygone_site/pix21/06-07-mitchell-depot.jpg (https://monon.org/bygone_site/pix21/06-07-mitchell-depot.jpg)

Title: Re: Monon Railroad Structure Colors
Post by: David Armstrong on September 10, 2019, 04:35:38 pm

Thank you Rick. I appreciate you posting the pictures!